War goddesses

Kali (; , ), also called Kalika, is a major goddess in Hinduism, primarily associated with time, death, and destruction. Kali is also connected with transcendental knowledge and is the first of the ten Mahavidyas, a group of goddesses who provide liberating knowledge. Of the numerous Hindu goddesses, Kali is held as the most famous. She is the preeminent deity in the Hindu tantric and the Kalikula worship traditions, and is a central figure in the goddess-centric sects of Hinduism as well as in Shaivism. Kali is chiefly worshipped as the Divine Mother, Mother of the Universe, and Divine femini

Parvati (, ), also known as Uma (, ) and Gauri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. Along with Lakshmi and Sarasvati, she forms the trinity, known as the Tridevi.

Durga (; , ), also known as Mahādevī (; , , [mɐɦaːd̪eːʋiː]), and Ādiśakti(; , , [aːd̪ɪ ʃɐkt̪i]), is one of the most important deities in Hinduism. She is regarded as the principal aspect of Adi Parashakti, the Ultimate Reality in Shaktism and widely worshipped by the followers of this goddess-centric sect, and has importance in other denominations like Shaivism and Vaishnavism.

thumb|upright|Mosaic of the Minerva of Peace in the Library of Congress

thumb|A depiction of Freyja. Within Norse paganism, Freyja was the deity primarily associated with .

thumb|Bastet in her earlier form of a lioness-headed woman depicted the same or very similar to Sekhmet Bastet or Bast (), also known as Ubasti or Bubastis, is a goddess of ancient Egyptian religion, possibly of Nubian origin, worshipped as early as the Second Dynasty (2890 BCE). In ancient Greek religion, she was known as Ailuros ().

goddess of victory in Greek mythology

In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet ( or Sachmis , from ; ) is a warrior goddess as well as goddess of medicine.

Inanna is the ancient Mesopotamian goddess of war, love, and sex. She is also associated with political power, divine law, sensuality, and procreation. Originally worshipped in Sumer, she was known by the Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians as Ishtar. Her primary title is "the Queen of Heaven".

Greek goddess of discord

thumb|Neith wearing the Deshret|Red Crown of Lower Egypt.

ancient Roman goddess of war, similar to the ancient Greek Enyo

Astarte (; ) is the Hellenized form of the Ancient Near Eastern goddess ʿAṯtart. ʿAṯtart was the Northwest Semitic equivalent of the East Semitic goddess Ishtar.

Roman goddess of victory

Al-ʻUzzá or al-ʻUzzā (, ) was one of the three chief goddesses of Arabian religion in pre-Islamic times and she was worshipped by the pre-Islamic Arabs along with Al-Lat and Manāt. A stone cube at Nakhla (near Mecca) was held sacred as part of her cult. She is mentioned in Qur'an 53:19 as being one of the goddesses whom people worshiped. thumb|"Eye" imagery in many forms is associated with the goddess Al-ʻUzzā, like Hubal, was called upon for protection by the pre-Islamic Quraysh. "In 624 at the 'battle called Uhud', the war cry of the Qurayshites was, "O people of Uzzā, people of Hubal!". Al-

In Greek mythology, Enyo (; ) is a war-goddess, frequently associated with the war-god Ares. The Romans identified her with Bellona.

Anat (, ), Anatu, classically Anath (; ʿnt; ʿĂnāṯ; ; ; Egyptian: ꜥntjt) was a goddess associated with warfare and hunting, best known from the Ugaritic texts. Most researchers assume that she originated in the Amorite culture of Bronze Age upper Mesopotamia, and that the goddess Ḫanat, attested in the texts from Mari and worshiped in a city sharing her name located in Suhum, should be considered her forerunner.

Tanit or Tinnit (Punic: 𐤕𐤍𐤕 Tīnnīt) was a chief deity of Ancient Carthage. She is the consort of Baal Hammon. As Ammon is a local Libyan deity, so is Tanit, who represents the matriarchal aspect of Numidian society, and whom the Egyptians identify as Neith and the Greeks identify as Athena. She was the goddess of wisdom, civilization and the crafts; she is the defender of towns and homes where she is worshipped. Ancient North Africans used to put her sign on tombstones and homes to ask for protection. Her main temples were in Thinissut (Bir Bouregba, Tunisia), Cirta (Constantine, Algeria),

, formally referred to with the honorific , is the creator of both creation and death in Japanese mythology, as well as the Shinto mother goddess. She and her brother-husband Izanagi are the last of the seven generations of primordial deities that manifested after the formation of heaven and earth. Izanami and Izanagi are held to be the creators of the Japanese archipelago and the progenitors of many deities, which include the sun goddess Amaterasu, the moon deity Tsukuyomi and the storm god Susanoo. In mythology, she is the direct ancestor of the Japanese imperial family. In Shinto and Japane

ancient Egyptian goddess

thumb|350px|right|Hervor dying after the Hlǫðskviða by [[Peter Nicolai Arbo]]

deity

thumb|9th-century sculpture depicting the Seven Mother Goddesses (Matrikas) flanked by Shiva (left) and Ganesha (right)

Menhit (also known as Menhyt, and Menchit) was originally a Nubian lion goddess of war in the Kingdom of Kush, who was regarded as a tutelary and sun goddess. Her name means either "she who sacrifices" or "she who massacres."

thumb|"Macha Curses the Men of Ulster", Stephen Reid (artist)|Stephen Reid's illustration from [[Eleanor Hull's ''The Boys' Cuchulainn (1904)]] Macha () was a sovereignty goddess of ancient Ireland associated with the province of Ulster, particularly the sites of Navan Fort (Eamhain Mhacha) and Armagh (Ard Mhacha''), which are named after her. Several figures called Macha appear in Irish mythology and folklore, all believed to derive from the same goddess. She is said to be one of three sisters known as 'the three Morrígna'. Like other sovereignty goddesses, Macha is associated with the land,

Chandi (, ) or Chandika () is a Hindu deity. Chandika is a form of goddess Durga. She shares similarities with the Goddess Chamunda, not only in name but also in attributes and iconography. Due to these similarities, some consider them to be the same deity, while others view them as different manifestations of Mahadevi. Both are often associated with other powerful goddesses like Durga, Katyayani, Kali and Kalaratri. The Goddess is particularly revered in Gujarat.

Anahit () was the goddess of fertility and healing, wisdom and water in Armenian mythology. In the early periods, she was the goddess of war. By the 5th century BCE, she was the main deity in Armenia along with Aramazd. The Armenian goddess Anahit is related to the similar Iranian goddess Anahita. Artaxias I erected statues of Anahit, and promulgated orders to worship them.

In Egyptian mythology, Pakhet, Egyptian Pḫ.t, meaning she who scratches (also spelt Pachet, Pehkhet, Phastet, and Pasht) is a lioness goddess of war.

Menrva (also spelled Menerva or Menfra) was an Etruscan goddess of war, art, wisdom, and medicine. She contributed much of her character to the Roman Minerva. She was the child of Uni and Tinia.

thumb|250px|right|Badb would commonly take the form of the hooded crow. In Irish mythology, the Badb (Old Irish, ), or in modern Irish Badhbh (, )—also meaning 'crow'—is a war goddess who takes the form of a crow, and is thus sometimes known as Badb Catha ('battle crow'). She is known to cause fear and confusion among soldiers to move the tide of battle to her favoured side. Badb may also appear prior to a battle to foreshadow the extent of the carnage to come, or to predict the death of a notable person. She would sometimes do this through wailing cries, leading to comparisons with the bean-s

Katyayani () is a form of the Hindu goddess Mahadevi, venerated as the slayer of the tyrannical asura Mahisha. She is the sixth of the Navadurga, and is worshipped on the sixth day of Navaratri.

Hindu folk deitie

Roman deity and personification of bravery and military strength

Shailaputri (Sanskrit: शैलपुत्री, IAST: Śailaputrī) is a form of the Hindu goddess Mahadevi, venerated as Parvati, daughter of the mountain king Himavat. She is the first of the Navadurga, and is worshipped on the first day of Navaratri.

Varahi (, IAST:) is one of the Matrikas, a group of seven mother goddesses in the Hindu religion who has the face of a sow. In Nepal, she is called Barahi. In Rajasthan and Gujarat, she is venerated as Dandini.

Chandraghanta () is a form of the Hindu goddess Mahadevi, venerated as the destroyer of demons and protector of her devotees. She is the third of the Navadurga, and is worshipped on the third day of Navaratri.

Alala (Ancient Greek: (alalá); "battle-cry" or "war-cry") was the personification of the war cry in Greek mythology. Her name derives from the onomatopoeic Greek word (alalḗ), hence the verb (alalázō), "to raise the war-cry". Greek soldiers attacked the enemy with this cry in order to cause panic in their lines and it was asserted that Athenians adopted it to emulate the cry of the owl, the bird of their patron goddess Athena.

goddess in Celtic religion

thumb|A figure of a cihuateotl, the spirit of an Aztec woman who died in childbirth.

one of the seven Mother Goddesses in Hinduism

Nanaya (Sumerian , DNA.NA.A; also transcribed as "Nanāy", "Nanaja", "Nanāja", '"Nanāya", or "Nanai"; antiquated transcription: "Nanâ"; in Greek: Ναναια or Νανα; , ) was a Mesopotamian goddess of love closely associated with Inanna.

archetypal figure

Ancient Cappadocia and Pontus goddess

In Irish mythology, Neman or Nemain (Modern Irish: Neamhan, Neamhain) is the spirit-woman or goddess who personifies the frenzied havoc of war. In the ancient texts where The Morrígan appears as a trio of goddesses — the three sisters who make up the Morrígna — include Macha and Badb; Nemain is strongly associated with Badb with whom she shares a husband, Neit. Nemain may be an aspect of Badb.

one of the names of Parvati/Durga

Kalaratri () is the seventh of the nine Navadurga forms of the goddess Mahadevi. She is first referenced in the Devi Mahatmya. Kalaratri is one of the fearsome forms of the goddess. It is not uncommon to find the names Kali and Kalaratri being used interchangeably, although these two deities are argued to be separate entities by some. Kali is first mentioned in Hinduism as a distinct goddess around 300 BCE in the Mahabharata, which is thought to have been written between the 5th and 2nd centuries BCE (with possible oral transmission from a much earlier period).

deity

thumb|Greek vase painting depicting a goddess, probably either Bendis or Kotys, adorned in Thracian garb approaching a seated [[Apollo. Red-figure bell-shaped krater by the Bendis Painter, –370 BCE]]Kotys ( '), also called Kotytto' (Κοτυττώ), was a Thracian goddess whose festival, the Cotyttia'', resembled that of the Phrygian Cybele, and was celebrated on hills with riotous proceedings and orgiastic rites, especially at night.

daoist deity

Šauška (Shaushka), also called Šauša or Šawuška, was the highest ranked goddess in the Hurrian pantheon. She was associated with love and war, as well as with incantations and by extension with healing. While she was usually referred to as a goddess and with feminine titles, such as allai (Hurrian: "lady"), references to masculine Šauška are also known. The Hurrians associated her with Nineveh, but she was also worshiped in many other centers associated with this culture, from Anatolian cities in Kizzuwatna, through Alalakh and Ugarit in Syria, to Nuzi and Ulamme in northeastern Mesopotamia. S

In Greek mythology, the Machai or Machae (, from the plural of ) are collectively the personification of battle and war. In Hesiod's Theogony, the Machai are listed among the children of Eris (Strife). Like all of the children of Eris given by Hesiod, the Machai are a personified abstraction, allegorizing the meaning of their name, and representing one of the many harmful things which might be thought to result from discord and strife, with no other identity.

thumb | right | Hesiod’s Theogony In Greek mythology, the Hysminai or Hysminae (, from the plural of ) are collectively the personification of combat. In Hesiod's Theogony, the Hysminai are listed among the children of Eris (Strife). Like all of the children of Eris given by Hesiod, the Hysminai are a personified abstraction, allegorizing the meaning of their name, and representing one of the many harmful things which might be thought to result from discord and strife, with no other identity.

Andraste, also known as Andrasta, was, according to the Roman historian Dio Cassius, an Icenic war goddess invoked by Boudica in her fight against the Roman occupation of Britain in AD 60. She may be the same as Andate, mentioned later by the same source, and described as "their name for Victory": i.e., the goddess Victoria. Thayer asserts that she may also be related to Andarta. The goddess Victoria is related to Nike, Bellona, Magna Mater (Great Mother), Cybele, and Vacuna—goddesses who are often depicted on chariots. Her name has been translated as meaning "indestructible" or "unconquerable

thumb|A depiction of Nantosuelta from Speyer, showing her distinctive sceptre and birds. The head of Sol can be seen in the tympanum. In Celtic mythology, Nantosuelta is the goddess of nature, the earth, fire, and fertility.

goddess in Roman mythology

Ọya (Yorùbá: Ọya, also known as Oyá, Oiá, Yànsàn-án, Yansã, Iyámsá, or Iansã) is one of the principal female deities of the Yoruba pantheon. She is the oriṣa of winds, lightning, and storms and is the only oriṣa capable of controlling the Eégún (spirits of the dead), a power given to her by Babalú Ayé.

thumb|alt=water and a remote island|Dingle in Ireland In Irish mythology, Banba (modern spelling: Banbha ), daughter of Delbáeth and Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, is a matron goddess of Ireland. She was married to Mac Cuill, a grandson of the Dagda.

Armenian goddess of war